Keeping your home’s air fresh and clean will not only make your house more comfortable, but can make it healthier as well. Air purifiers that use ultraviolet light to kill microorganisms improve air quality by reducing the number of pollutants in the home. UV light can prevent the spread of potentially hazardous organisms by halting their ability to reproduce. Tests have indicated that UV light works best in mitigating the effects of indoor pollutants such as:
- Viruses: Ultraviolet light can kill many types of viruses as long as the design of the system ensures that the light strikes the virus for a sufficient length of time.
- Mold: Air purifiers with an ultraviolet light component can kill mold spores, but dead mold still represents a health hazard to humans. The purifier should also have a filter that captures the mold and prevents it from being recirculated through the system.
- Bacteria: Scientific studies in hospitals show that UV light can reduce the spread of tuberculosis by 70 percent. The disease is transmitted by bacteria, which the UV light kills by damaging their DNA.
The type of ultraviolet light wavelength used in home air filtration systems is UVC, as differentiated from UVA and UVB wavelengths (the more familiar tanning rays). UVC rays penetrate tiny microorganisms to destroy their DNA, causing the cells to die.
Ultraviolet light is not an effective deterrent for such indoor pollutants as dust particles or duct mites. These need to be removed with high-efficiency air filters, in addition to washing bedding and dusting furniture. Some models of portable purifiers contain ultraviolet purification capabilities, but these units treat only a single room. Your heating and cooling professional can install an ultraviolet light device directly into your heating and cooling system that will treat all of the air in your home.
For more expert advice on UV air purification and other issues related to home comfort and safety, please contact us at Hansberger Refrigeration and Electric Company. We have proudly served the Yuma area since 1952.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Yuma, Arizona about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about UV lights and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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